The Nicest Thing
by Don'tTouchMeOrYou'llDie
Summary: Bella's life has been one tragedy after the next. When she meets Jacob. Well, he's the nicest thing she's ever seen.
1. Chapter 1

**The Nicest Thing**

 **Summary: Bella's life has been one tragedy after the next. When she meets Jacob. Well, he's the nicest thing she's ever seen.**

 **Chapter One: All I Know Is That Your So Nice**

 _"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted."_  
 _― Aesop_

* * *

Her name is Isabella Marie Higginbotham but she prefers to be called Bella, or she would if she had anyone to call her that other than her art teacher, the librarian, and _Charlie_.

No one picks her for their team during sports, no one passes her notes during class. People don't talk to her, not even the teacher, except when she does attendance and calls her "Ms. Higgy-bottom," much to the amusement of her classmates. The rest of the teachers just past around an attendance sheet.

Bella always sits in the back of class by the window, with her sketch pad, while in school, and during lunch, while all the other kids are sitting with their friends, Bella usually sits outside by a tree with a book or her sketch pad, with her headphones on.

Bella likes to draw. She draws her classmates, her teachers, random people she passes on her way home, animals, etc. She draws everything.

Her mom was an artist. She taught her how to draw, how to paint, how to sculpt. Her mom was one of those people who saw the beauty in everything.

She misses her mom. She was the one person who knew Bella better than anyone. Always smiling, and getting into trouble

She can draw her mother's face perfectly from memory, but sometimes she has trouble remembering what her mother's voice sounded like.

"My mom is such a bitch," the girl who sits in front of her, Lauren, complained, "She grounded me yesterday just because I came back a few hours later than my curfew,"

"Ugh, your mom's the worst," her friend, Jessica, agreed, and Bella fights back tears as she slips her sketch pad and her book "Perks of Being a Wallflower," into her messenger bag.

She bumps Lauren's shoulder as she leaves.

"What's her problem?" Jessica asks, and Lauren shrugs, rolling her eyes.

"Who knows. She's such a freak. She doesn't even talk," Lauren hisses, and Bella flinches.

Bella's hands shake, and she puts on her headphones, turning the volume all the way up.

 _"_ _In the light of the sun  
Is there anyone?  
Oh, it has begun_

 _Oh, dear, you look so lost  
Your eyes are red when tears are shed  
The world you must have crossed, you said_

 _You don't know me, you don't even care  
Oh yeah, you said  
You don't know me, and you don't wear my chains  
Oh yeah,"_

She's 17, and is walking home after a long day of not speaking to anyone, and heading home to make dinner for Charlie.

Even though she had been staying with Charlie for almost three years now, she still always got this horrible feeling that one day he was going to come home from work and tell her that he didn't want Bella to live with him anymore.

Bella had been through six homes since her step-father had given her up after her mom died when she was 7. She learned that no place was safe, and that even the good ones were only temporary. Living with Charlie was nice.

He was lonely, she guesses, and decided he wanted a kid, but because of his job he needed one old enough to be independent. She doesn't mind. She keeps up the house, cooks three meals a day, and keeps Charlie company when he gets home. In return, he doesn't send her back to the group home or throw her out on the street.

It starts raining, and Bella remembers that she left her umbrella at home.

It was raining when her mom died too.

She had been at school, in the second grade, when the teacher pulled her aside.

Bella likes to go for walks in the rain.

It's weird. Something about the sky, the way the clouds cluster and huddle together, turning the world to grey and cry. It's almost like a reflection of her soul.

She feels the light drops pattering over her shoulders. When in minutes everything would be cold, dreary, and the streets would be empty.

It is only in the rain that Bella ever feels at peace.

Bella pulls her dark blue hoodie over her head, and puts her hands in the pockets of her dark skinny jeans with holes in the knee. Charlie offered to buy her some more clothes but she said no.

If she has a roof over her head and food in her stomach, then she's fine. If she asks for anything else, then she would become a burden and Charlie will get rid of her.

The crosswalk says Walk, and Bella is about to step out in the street when—

"Whoa!" a husky voice says behind her, and someone grabs the back of her jacket, pulling her back just in time for a truck to run the red-light, "That was close,"

Bella turns around and finds herself staring at the guy's chest. She looks up, her hood falling back, and sees a familiar face smiling at her.

"You okay?" he asks, and Bella nods slowly.

Jacob Black, captain of the football team and one of the popular kids in school, is standing there holding a bright red umbrella over his head. Bella has seen him before in the halls and sometimes he comes to the house with his dad to visit Charlie, but she always makes herself scarce when Charlie has company.

Charlie has tried to encourage her to socialize and has even said it would be alright if she wants to have friends over but she has yet do either of those things.

"People have no respect for the road, huh?" Jacob jokes, holding his umbrella over Bella's head, "You heading home?"

Bella nods again and Jacob chuckles.

"You don't talk much, do you?" he asks, and Bella shrugs, "Alright, well let me walk you home,"

Bella shakes her head, and Jacob smiles.

"Come on, I live right down the street from you," Jacob states, and Bella glares at him, "Okay, okay,"

He stares hard at Bella's face with a thoughtful squint, then he hands her his umbrella.

"Here," Jacob says, and Bella just stares at it, "Here, take it,"

Bella reluctantly takes the umbrella and Jacob shoves both of his hands into the pocket of his jeans, stepping back into the rain. He's instantly soaked and Bella frowns, feeling guilty, but Jacob just gives her a friendly smile, looks both ways across the street, and gestures for her to walk.

Bella hesitates, and then starts walking. Jacob lets her go, waiting until she's halfway down the block, before walking to. Every time she glances back, Jacob is there, walking a reasonable distance behind. When Bella makes it home, Jacob waves at her, before turning around and walking back the way he came.

Bella remembers that he doesn't live down the street…he lives two blocks over. He was just making sure she got home safely.

Bella goes in her house and puts his umbrella by the door, so she can give it back to him at school tomorrow.

As she heads to the kitchen to get started on dinner, she only has one thing on her mind.

 _Jacob Black is a nice guy._

* * *

 _"Chivalry: It's the little boy that kisses my hand, the young man who holds the door open for me, and the old man who tips his hat to me. None of it is a reflection of me, but a reflection of them."_  
 _― Donna Lynn Hope_

* * *

 **Author's note: This is an AU, Where Bella isn't Charlie's daughter, Bella's mother is dead and Phil gave her up for adoption when she was 7. Jacob goes to school with Bella but they aren't friends. Bella's not popular, she's the outcast in school.**

 **Please Review and Let me know what you think**


	2. Chapter 2

**The Nicest Thing**

 **Summary: Bella's life has been one tragedy after the next. When she meets Jacob. Well, he's the nicest thing she's ever seen.**

 **Chapter Two:** **You're The Nicest Thing I've Seen**

 _Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a_  
 _listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all_  
 _of which have the potential to turn a life around."_  
 _― Leo Buscaglia_

* * *

 _"_ _What are you doing? Look at me when I'm talking to you!" a deep angry voice shouts, "You think you're better than me, huh?"_

 _"_ _No, daddy. I-"_

 _"_ _Shut up! Shut up!" he snaps, "You want to start with me, huh? You brought this on yourself!"_

 _"_ _Stop it!"_

 _"_ _You know, you brought this on yourself! Get on your feet!"_

Bella's eyes snap open and she sits up in bed, terrified, and panting.

Bella looks around the room, almost expecting to find an angry man standing in her room yelling at her.

But there's no one there.

She always wondered why she can't remember what her father looks like, but she can remember his voice crystal clear. If only she could erase his voice and remember her mothers.

Her mother left her father when she was five and married Phil a year later. She never went into details on the subject and anytime Bella brought it up her mother would flinch and change the subject.

Bella wonders if she'd still heard the screaming to.

She sighs, a hollow feeling growing in her chest, as she gets out of bed to get ready for another day of school.

Charlie is already up when she gets down.

"Morning, Bella," he says, and Bella yawns in response, heading to the fridge to get started for breakfast, "Oh, you don't have to make breakfast for me this morning,"

Bella freezes, her hand on the handle of the fridge.

"I'll just pick something up from the diner near the station," Charlie continues, and Bella slowly pulls the refrigerator open, "I don't want to be late for work,"

She begins pulling out food, her shoulders slumped, unable to look at Charlie. She needs to get up earlier. Charlie's going to throw her out if she can't carry her weight and prove her worth.

"Do you need a ride to school?" Charlie asks hesitantly, the same way he does every morning, and Bella gives him the same response she does every time he asks.

She shakes her head, without looking at him, and continues cooking.

"Are you sure?"

She nods.

Charlie stares at her for a long moment, and she knows that he wants something from her but she doesn't know what it is.

"Do you need money?" he asks, and Bella shrugs, "Okay, I'll leave $20 near your bag, okay?"

Bella nods, knowing that she's not going to spend the money. She never spends any of the money Charlie gives her. She keeps it stashed in a duffle bag under her floorboards, with some clothes, a few canned goods, a bag of trail mix, beef jerky, and that last few pictures she had of her mom. Just in case she needs to leave quickly and hide out for a few days.

Charlie seems nice…but it wouldn't be the first time that a seemly nice person had turned _not_ so nice at the switch of a hat.

"I'll see you when I get home," Charlie states, and Bella gives him a blank look.

Where else would she be?

She holds out a brown paper bag for Charlie to take and he does with a grateful smile. Bella always makes sure to make his lunch before she goes to bed, just in case she doesn't wake up in enough to make his lunch and cook breakfast.

Charlie leaves and Bella sits at the table eating breakfast by herself. She's gotten used to eating with Charlie, listening to the sound of his chewing, and his commentary on the newspaper.

Bella finishes her breakfast, silently, washes her plate, puts away the money Charlie left her, grabs Jacob's umbrella, and heads off to school. She has her messenger bag slung across her chest, headphones on, playing Halsey, drowning out the voices of the peoples walking around her.

 _"_ _And all the people say  
You can't wake up, this is not a dream  
You're part of a machine, you are not a human being  
With your face all made up, living on a screen  
Low on self esteem, so you run on gasoline_

 _I think there's a flaw in my code  
These voices won't leave me alone  
Well my heart is gold and my hands are cold"_

She pauses when she notices Jacob walking ahead of her with his friends, Embry and Quil.

Her grip on his umbrella tightens and she takes a step towards him.

He laughs, his flying back, at something Embry says. It's the sound of a person who has no worries. Someone who is happy with their life.

She shoves his umbrella in her messenger bag, before she can think about it, and when Jacob and his friends turn right, Bella turns left, opting to take the long way to school today.

She's 10 minutes late, but the teacher doesn't comment on it.

She sees Jacob wave at her, and looks away. The rest of her classmates barely glance at her as she makes her way to her seat in the back near the window. She listens to the assignment, watches everyone pair up, and then gets to work by herself.

Then a shadow covers her paper. Bella looks up and finds herself staring into the smiling face of Jacob Black.

"Need a partner?" he asks, and Bella just stares at him, "I'll take that as a yes,"

Jacob takes the empty seat next to her, Bella continues to stare, Jacob stares back not phased at all. He pulls his notebook out of his book-bag and looks at her expectantly.

"Well, we should probably get to work, huh?" he says and Bella looks down at her paper, "So, do you want to split the questions in half and work on them separately or do you want to work on the together?"

Bella shrugs.

"Alright, we'll do it together then," Jacob says, and Bella digs her nails into her palms.

What's wrong with him?

Jacob continues to talk beside her, reading each question out loud, and suggesting answers until Bella rights something down. Then he'll smile, ask her if he got it right, which she'll shrug in answer, and he'll write it down.

When class is over, Bella doesn't know whether to be relived or disappointed.

Jacob stands up, pushing his hair back from his face, and turns to smile at her.

"See you later, Bella," he states, and Bella's eyes widen, "Oh, do you not like Bella? Because I can call you Isabella if you want?"

Bella shakes her head, wetting her lips, before reaching into her messenger bag, and pulling out his umbrella.

She wordlessly offers it to him and he takes it with a sunny grin.

"Thanks, Bella," he states, "I was just going to buy another one,"

Jacob pats her on the shoulder, surprising Bella with how warm his hands were, and Bella realizes that it has been a long time since someone touched her.

Charlie is always careful not to touch her, as if he's worried that he'll make her uncomfortable…which it probably would.

Bella grabs her messenger bag, and walks out of class, without looking back. Her skin still burning where he touched her.

She goes through the rest of her day, same as usual.

But when she's about to head home, she pauses and turns in the direction of football practice. Bella sits away from the other kids watching.

She doesn't even know why she's there. She should be getting home. She has make sure the house is clean, her homework is finished, and dinner is on the table before Charlie gets home from work.

Jacob comes out with the rest of his team, and looks into the stands. He waves at his friends and then his eyes find Bella.

He smiles, his eyes lighting up, as he waves at her to.

 _Jacob Black has the nicest smile she's ever seen._

* * *

 _"It only takes a split second to smile and forget, yet to someone that needed it, it can last a lifetime."_  
 _― Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free_

* * *

 **Author's note:** **Please Review and Let me know what you think**


	3. Chapter 3

**The Nicest Thing**

 **Summary: Bella's life has been one tragedy after the next. When she meets Jacob. Well, he's the nicest thing she's ever seen.**

 **Chapter Three:** **I wish that we could give it a go**

 _"Maybe friendship can't begin until someone chooses you. But... that doesn't mean you don't get to make a choice too. You can't do that...unless you know who they are. And they can't choose you...until they know who you are."_

 _― Miyoshi Toumori,_ _A Devil and Her Love Song, Vol._ 1

* * *

She is an idiot.

That is the only explanation for why she continues to seek out Jacob's company. Well, she doesn't exactly seek him out, more like he continues to hang around and she doesn't push him away.

He has taken to volunteering to be her partner whenever there is an assignment that requires working with someone other than yourself. He's says "Hello," if they pass each other in the hallway and he once held a place for her in lunch.

She knows he's a nice person. She's seen him defend a freshman from Bullies, help a girl carry her science project to class, and stay behind to help the teacher clean up after class.

He sits with his friends at lunch and she watches from her place by the tree, her headphones playing listening to The Goo Goo Dolls.

 _"_ _And I'd give up forever to touch you  
'Cause I know that you feel me somehow  
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be  
And I don't want to go home right now_

 _And all I can taste is this moment_  
 _And all I can breathe is your life_  
 _And sooner or later it's over_  
 _I just don't wanna miss you tonight"_

He's almost always surrounded by people and she's almost always alone.

He still takes the time to walk home with her on days he doesn't have practice, talking about school, his friends, and stuff, not seeming to care that she's not speaking back. And she continues to come to his practices and sit there. Though she tries to talk herself out of it.

She has things the she needs to do. She's barely been managing to finish dinner before Charlie gets home. She's risking a lot by continuing to come watch practice for a game that she doesn't even understand.

She notices that other students are staring to notice her coming to practice and she tries play it off like she isn't interested by pretending to read her book or taking out her sketch book, but she can't help herself.

She's just waiting for that moment.

The moment when Jacob notices that she's come to his practice and he smiles.

She's seen him smile a lot since he started hanging around her, heard him laugh, heard him joke. But the smile he gives her at practice is different.

It's not like the ones she's seen him give the rest of his friends, it's a little brighter, his eyes are softer, and it makes him look…like he cares about her. It makes her feel warm and good and…some other emotion she can't describe.

It also makes her feels weird and shortly after he smiles at her, when his attention is back on practice, she'll slip away unnoticed and go home.

Sometimes, she'll find herself drawing his face when she's sitting in class and she lets her mind wonder. She quickly covers it up before anyone can see it and she rips those pictures out of her sketchpad. She can't bring herself to throw them away though, so she shoves them in her bottom drawer and prays that Charlie doesn't find them.

"Are you going to be at practice?" Jacob asks, at the end of the day, when she's leaving class.

She didn't know that he knew where her last class was.

Bella shrugs, even though she knows that she's going to be there.

"Well, if you decide to come, maybe you can stay until the end today, so I can walk you home?" Jacob suggests and Bella shakes her head, "You can't stay? Are you sure? There's something I wanted to talk to you about,"

Bella bit her lips and fiddled with the strap on her messenger bag.

Practice ended at 6, Charlie got home around 7. That wasn't enough time to fix dinner or do the laundry before Charlie got back. Charlie said that she didn't have to fix dinner every day, he often said that she could just order a pizza or something.

 _"_ _You don't have to do the laundry every day,"_

 _"_ _You don't have to make big meals. I'd be fine with just a sandwich,"_

 _"_ _You don't have to take out the trash in the morning, I'll get it on my way out,"_

 _You don't have to…you don't have to…you don't have to…_

But…if she slips up, and starts to lax on her work then Charlie might get rid of her.

This is the longest she's ever been in a home and she does want to go back to the group home.

She just has to make it until she graduates...then Charlie can kick her out.

 _"I just can't do it, Izzy," Phil said, eyes red from crying, "It's just too much. hope one day you'll forgive me."_

 _Bella said nothing, just hugged her bag tighter to her chest, staring out the window while he drove._

People always get rid of her.

Bella shakes her head, and Jacob grins, looping her arm around her shoulder and pulling in for a half hug.

"Well, alright, Bella," Jacob says, not bothered by her refusal, "I'll talk to you tomorrow,"

He pulls away and gives Bella a two-fingered salute.

"Be careful on your way home, okay? And look both ways before you cross the street," he tried to give her a stern look, but the twinkle in his eyes took away the illusion.

Bella nods and Jacob starts to walk away, making it halfway down the hallway, before turning around and coming back.

"Just in case," he states, giving her his umbrella, before walking away.

Bella can still feel the heat from his arm wonders what it would have been if he'd given her a real hug with both arms.

She shakes her head and shoves his umbrella in her bag, before heading home.

She's never had a friend before, apart from her mom.

There had been a few nice kids in some of the homes but never a person who actively sought out her company. But she's not sure if that's what Jacob is. He might just be being nice to the quiet girl who almost got hit by a truck. He might not even like her and he probably doesn't think about her when he goes home. He probably does feel anything when he touches her.

Bella's shoulders slump, and she walk home with her head down.

 _She wishes that Jacob Black was her friend._

* * *

 _"I think of you as a friend. I used to think "friend" was just another word... Nothing more, nothing less. But when I met you, I realized what was important was the word's meaning."_  
 _― Masashi Kishimoto, Naruto, Band 11_

* * *

 **Author's note: Please review and let me know your thoughts.**


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